Since June 12, 2011, the Dallas Mavericks have been on a long, strange trip. On that night, they won the NBA Finals with a veteran roster composed of players with zero titles among them. What followed has been frustrating, divisive, and somewhat inevitable. The club assembled was a late-night reveler unwilling to admit it was time to go home, “chasing the night” as Worldwide Wes once advised against.

Nearly seven years later, after chasing hair-of-the-dog first-round exits, it’s clear that the Mavericks have closed their tab. Owner Mark Cuban calls this stage of his team’s life cycle “rebuilding” on cheaper days, and “tanking” on more expensive ones. However, unlike most rebuilding or tanking teams, there is something peculiar about the way the Mavericks are going about this: the faces at the helm are unusually familiar.

Typically, a rebuild means a new coach, a new GM, and occasionally even new ownership. The old ways of doing business in the...